How it feels to be healed

Lynette Alegria got more than she bargained for at World Race training camp. I love her testimony here:

Training camp was insane and I mean that in the best way. From Saturday to Saturday I felt like I was fed, fed, and then fed some more with so much wisdom, revelation, conviction, assurance, healing, and freedom. I was overwhelmed by the presence of God. Yes, I am the cooky Christian who jumps around during worship, lifts her hands towards the heavens and gives a good headshake when I agree with the message being shared.

…And to think a few years back when I saw people doing that in church, I thought to myself, "They are crazy."  I laugh at myself now to think I am one of "them," and maybe I too am a little crazy….

One of the greatest joys I found at TC was that I'm not the only crazy out there.  I saw many others who passionately love Jesus, danced around in worship, sing absolutely beautiful or keep quiet in sweet humble adoration; I was so greatly encouraged by God's children at Training Camp- to see the body of Christ be the body of Christ. These are my brothers and sisters willing to abandon, to submit, and to follow the calling God has for them- how stunning.

Of the many things that happened at TC, the most bizarre thing was my healing.

For those of you who don't know, I've had back problems for years now. When I was 17 I had back surgery to remove a benign bone tumor that had grown on my spinal column. The tumor was creating terrible pain as it was pinching nerves in my lower back; as result of this tumor, I had to suspend my long distance running on Track and Cross-Country. I even had to stop dancing, as my back would still be in pain after a practice.
 
I had my surgery, underwent a recovery with consisted of a lot of physical therapy and I began to heal. My back would always be “a little off though” “never quite normal” my physician informed me. So I lived with it- the discomfort, the getting used to minimizing exercise, not lifting heavy things, anything to ensure my back was well taken care of.
 
 Then I realized that my right shoulder was almost always in pain, the X-rays showed my scoliosis, a separate problem from my tumor, was leaning to my right shoulder creating hip displacement and added pressure to the right side of my back. There was nothing they could do though, except watch the scoliosis and determine that if it worsened whether or not surgery would be appropriate. 
 
Now I knew getting into this whole World Race thing that I would have to step out in faith, but I had my questions. “How in the world would I carry around a huge backpack for a year?” It was heavy, probably not the wisest decision to put so much added weight on my back considering my history. I would more than likely sleep on a very thin sleeping pad, not exactly the sort of support I would need for a back like mine. I would be on my feet, probably most days for hours on end, not exactly the kindest way to treat my lower back.
 
So the first day, the very first day of camp, literally everyone had travelled from everywhere and we were setting up camp and I didn’t even know the names of my Squad members but someone, bless her heart, asked me how I was feeling about everything. And I said, “I’m worried about my back.”
And of course I gave a mini spill as to why and she asked if she could pray over me for healing. I agreed but I wasn’t really sure if it was God’s plan to actually heal me. I mean, I’ve heard it all the time in the old Bible stories when Jesus was walking around doing miracles and since then I’ve heard stories few and far between of miraculous healings, but me healed? Yeah right.
 
So the saints from my squad gathered around me and prayed, laid hands on me, on my back; when they did I felt deep warmth come over my lower back; I didn’t think much of it except that it was comforting. The prayer was done and that was it and the crazy week of TC began.
 
For discretion purposes and time I am not going to write the entirety of TC week’s agenda, but would you just trust me in that there were a lot of uncomfortable sleeping situations; I kid you not, I slept upright all night for one of our training scenarios. There was a lot of sitting, a lot of standing, a lot of hard work and exercises that pushed, I’m sure, most if not all of us to our limits.  And did I mention the heat and humidity? It was so annoying for this Californian who loves her good all year long weather. In times past, my back would have never been able to handle any of this.
 
As the week passed and I began to realize I had NO PAIN; no pain, at all. Not one bit. I started thinking to myself, “Was I really healed? Or is this just luck?” And then conviction settled in,
“Lynette, believe it because it’s real.”
 
“NO FREAKING WAY.”
 
But that’s the thing IT IS REAL. My back is healed, and I have never been so pain free in so many years. It is a miracle.
 
As the week of TC concluded, I realized that what I experienced with my brothers and sisters coming alongside me and praying over me, is what I will be experiencing for the next year of my life on the World Race. I am going to see the miraculous, I am going to experience Christ in ways I have never before. I am SO stinking excited.
 
Jesus is still in the business of miraculous ways, healings, all crazy stories; I know it’s hard to believe, trust me, I doubt a lot. But I cannot deny my story and what has happened to me. I WAS HEALED.